Heat exchanger



Aprl 1931. J. P. RATHBUN 1,799,391

HEAT EXCHANGER Filed March 29, 1928 'IIIIIIIIIIIIII/l/l/Il//I/Il//Il//I/I//IY/I/I//f l/II//IIl/I/l/Il'I/A wTNEss I INVENTQR(51415. (LR Rufi\ bun 4 BY ATTONEY Patented Apr. 7, 1931 f -UNITED-;ISTA

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PATEN roFFIcE JOHN P. `RATHIBUN, OF MOORES, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOWESTINGHOUSE ELEG- TRIC 85 MANUEACTURING COMPANY, A GORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA 1 HEAT EXCHANGERH Application filed March, 1928. Serial No.2651535.

ti i My invention relates to heat exchangersof the open type', such asjet heaters, or jet con densers, and more particul'arlyto .jet heatersfor electro-Chemicalprocesses, and it has for an objectto improvetheefficiency of apparatus of this character.

- In those electro-chemical processes 'which involve' electrolysis, suchfor example, as the electrolytic refining of 'metals, e1ectro-plato ing,and the like, it is desirable to supply electrolyte at the temperatureatwhich, the process may bestbe carried on. In the refinng of'copper thistemperture is around 14:09

F., and, consequently some heating is re-' 15 quired. Jet he'aters haveseveral 'characteristics which make them especiallywell suited to thiswork, such, for example, astheir highthermalefficiency and theircapacityto cre-" ate sufficient vacuum to lift the electrolyte to thenozzle chamber, or, in other words, to pull itintoth-e heater. r i i f 4v However, in 'these' various processes it desirable to maintain theair,-o'rsoxygen 'con:

'tent of the electrolyte as low as possible' be cause of thetendency ofthis gas to cause of Copper, the liberationof any appr'eciable quantityof oxygen'between the; electrodes will cause Copper building, which soonextends from oneelectrode'to another,'causing a short circuit. I

As liquicl media flows from 'a jet heaterinto a tail pipe, 'or otherdischarge, or outlet connection, the lines of flow necessarily convergetoward the outlet, and this convergence of flow tends toproduce` anentraining action in the Vicinity of the outlet. As a result of'thisaction, air, oxygen, or other gaseous media in the Vicinity of theoutlet is entrained to a conditions of flow. This condition' becomesevenjmore aggravated wth the occurrence of surges, or `fluctuationswhich leave theoutlet only partially submerged,for, when the lattercondition exists', a considerable quantity of i gaseous media may beentrained during a reli atively brief interval. This entrainment ofgaseous media if objectionable in various processes, such, for example,as in the electrolytic refining of copper, in which the presence metalbuilding. For instance, in the refining greater, or less extent,depending upon the lowing descriptionand claims taken ;in con nectionwith the `accompanying drawings,

forming a'fpart of this'application, in which jet'heater v e u Inaccordance 'with myinvention,` I pro-` 'the single figure isasectionalelevation of a i e 6 vide a liquid' seal about the dischargecon;

nectionto a jet heater. I have found that this i arrangementeffectively` 'prevents ga's'eous a media from becoming entrainedin theliqui media discharged from the heater. V

In the drawing I show a jet mixing chanber 11 and a `collection anddischarge chamber 12, the'latter having an foutlet 13' adapted to beconnected to a tail e, heater, i

-dicated' generally at 10, and comprising 'a pipe, or other dischargeconnection (not shown). Liquid media, such as service water, which maybe anelectrolytic solution, is supplied through the inlet 14 to thenozzle chamber 16 from which is pass-'es through *the n'ozzle' l'( intothe mixing chaniber. 11.

Gaseous media, "such as stea n, or other heating vapor, is passed intothe' mixing chamber 11 through the inlet 18, and in passing doWnwardlytherethrough becomes thoroughly mixed with the liquid media'issuing fromthe nozzles 17, with the result` i that this heating media becomescondensed and thus, gives up its latent heat to the resulting mixture ofliquid media, which latter is discharged through the convergingpassage iprovided by the 'converging wa'lls' 19. ;An air and non-eondensable gasremoval connection 22 may also be provided in the upper portionof thewall of the dis'charge' chamber 12 for :removing air and other non-con;V

densable gases from this chamberi.,

" 'The apparatus, thus far referred to, iswell known in the art and is,tlrierefo e,` only described; When apparatus ofthis character is usedfor heating a solution of electrolyte, it will readily be seen that theconvergence of flow of the liquid media passing 'from the chamber 12through the outlet 1 3 will produce an entrainngaction which will beaugmented by any fiuctuations which 'leave the outlet 13 only partiallysubmerged. In this way, air, oxygen, or other gaseous media may becomeentrained and I pass with the liquid media through the outlet 13 andinto the tail pipe, or other discharge connection. In order to preventoc unns orlegs 30 and 3l disposed concentr icalm ly about the outlet 13for retaining liquid. The cowl 24 may be supported in any suitablemanner as, for example by means of the supeporting strips 26 which maybe made integral r with the wall 23 as shown. I also provide a numberofreinforcing webs 28 about the innei walls of thebase of the dischargechamber I for-reinforcing the latter.

, It. will be apparent that; by arranging the cowl 24 above the outlet13, I have provided an etective means for `preventing gaseous media,which may be nthe chanber 12 above the level Ofthe liquid media thereina d pas n from be'coming entrained through the outlet 13. i

In the operation of my heater, a` solution of el'ectrolyte is passedthrough the inlet 14: into the nozzle chamber 16, from which itissuppliedto the nozzles 17,' and a heating niedium, such assteam, is'passed into the mix::

ing chamber ll through the inlet 1 8. The

resulting .mixture is then discharged into the collection and dischargechajmber l where, by virtue of the'liquid seal, the entraining action ofthe liquid'media passing through the outlet 13 becomes inefiectiveandthus, it is assured that gaseous media, such as air and othernon-condensa ble gases, will be pre- Vented from passing through theoutlet 13.

It will readily be seen, therefore, thatl have provided a simple andeflicient' means for -adapting a jet heater to the service of; heatingsolutions, such as electrolyte, 'where the presence of any' appreciablequantty ofoccluded gases would be very detrnental.

lVhile I have shown my inventionin but one form, it will be obvoustothose skilled in the art that `itis notso limited, but' is susceptibleof various changes :and modifications without' dep arting from'thespirit `tl l o nd I esi h r f hatven y :such

lmitations shall be placed ther u imposed by the pror art or as arespecifically set :Eorth in the appended claims.

What I' claim is l. In heating app aratus of the contact type,

the combination of a casng embodying achamberfor mixing heating mediaand media to be heated, a discharge chamber disposed below the mixingchamber, a circular, converging passageway depending from the mi& ingchaniberinto the dscharge chambr for conveying the commingled mediathereto, an

-outlet for gaseous media provided in an upper portion of the dischargechamber, an outlet for liquid media disposed in a lower portion of thedischarge chamber, and ;liquid sealing means associated with the liqu'idmedia outlet and disposedl within the casing forrestricting the passageofgaseous media o sad'ga e smeda u 2. 'In heating apparatus'of thecontact type,

the combnation of a casing embodyng a' m xing ,chamben an nlet`communcatng with the niging chamber for adinitting heating mediathereto, a plurality of inlets disposed circumferentially about theheating media inlet 'Eoradmitting liquid media to ,be heated .to themixingfchamber, a discharge chamber embodied in the c asing and disposedbelow 'the'mizing chanber a passageway depending fron the miXing chamberinto the discharge chamber for conveying commingl'ed media thereto, anoutlet for heatedliquid provided in a lowerportion of the dischargechainber, angoutlet for gaseous media provided in the discharge chamberand disposed lafterally of said depending passageway; and' liqud'sealing meansassociated' with said heated liqu'id outlet and disposedwithin the casing for restricting the passage of gaseous media to .saidgaseous media outlet;

3. In' heating apparatus. of' the contact type, the combination of ,acasing e nbodying a chamber for mixing. heating media and media". to belieated,` clischarge cham'ber freely coinmunicating With the miri-ngchamher for receiving the' commngled media therefrom, "separate outletmeans communicating'with the discharge chamber for the renioval. ofgaseous media and for the remov- 'media is discharged from the' sealingmeans and which connects with the liquid -me dia outlet means i iIntestimony whereof, I have hereunto subs bed my na hs`2 ay cof Marc

